The Simple Way of Poison Read Online Free PDF

no,” she said, with something almost like a groan. “I do so wish he would. Angie understands—he’s a peach. I… just do my best to try to keep them apart. I’d be pretty miserable without him.”
    She turned back. “I thought Lowell needed a brother’s gentle hand. And I thought Angie needed her—she’s a marvelous counter-irritant.”
    We could hear Lowell now, coming back with the three men, and the clinking of ice and glass on silver. Iris drew a sharp breath, perfectly composed again, even managing her cool detached smile. They all came trooping in.
    “I don’t know why we drink that nauseating bilge just because it’s Christmas,” Angie said. He took my egg nog cup and replaced it with a cold amber Martini. “It probably won’t mix, Mrs. Latham, but that’s your problem. We all have our problems.”
    He looked at his sister. She smiled sweetly. “May I have just one, Iris? A tiny one—please?”
    “No,” Angie said. He took the glass out of her hand and handed it to Mac. “You’re foul enough sober.”
    I expected her to flare up, but she didn’t. “I didn’t want it anyway,” she retorted, with a couple of dance steps back to where Stephen Donaldson was standing. She gave him a radiant smile and wrinkled her nose pertly at poor Mac. I glanced at Iris. She was looking at the door again, her glass untouched in her hand. Angus had gone back to the radio. I saw Iris move sharply as if something inside hurt her. Her face was absolutely bloodless.
    I put my empty glass down and got up. She started quickly. “Oh no, Grace—don’t go! Can’t you stay for dinner?”
    I shook my head. “I’d love to—”
    “But please don’t go yeti Randall’s just coming down—he’ll want to see you.”
    She put her hand on my arm. It was as cold as if she’d held it in the snow. I looked at her, definitely alarmed; as perfectly aware, suddenly, as if she’d told me in so many words that it was Randall Nash’s step she’d been listening for out in the hall, and that she dreaded his coming, dreaded it horribly.
    I could hear him out there now, crossing the hall toward the library. How she could have heard him sooner I still don’t see. Though that’s not quite true, for Colonel Primrose tells me fear sharpens people’s senses almost miraculously. And Iris Nash was afraid. I recognized it then. What I didn’t know was what an unbearable fear it was.
    “Please stay!” she said, with a smile. I looked at my watch. It was just six, and I didn’t really have to be home until time to tie my younger son’s tie for his first formal party. I sat down. As I did, I happened quite accidentally to glance at Steve Donaldson. He was looking at Iris, his teeth gripped so hard on the bit of his pipe that there were ridges on his cheeks, his eyes so completely revealing that I sat there simply staring at him.

3
    Mac’s voice at my elbow brought me to my senses. “Where’s your glass, Mrs. Latham?”
    He groaned suddenly. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone screwy too!”
    I pulled myself sharply together. “It was that last cocktail, Mac.”
    “Then you’d certainly better have another.”
    “No, thanks,” I said.
    “How about you, Iris?”
    He stepped back—and there rose instantly the most ungodly squeal, full of pain and wrath and horror and outrage, with a loud clatter and bang of fire irons. There was a sharp cry of protest from Lowell and a muttered swearing from Mac, and above the din I could hear Angie’s pleasant young voice: “Oh, that’s all right. Just another of the little sister’s oddities. Loyalty to the brute creation—especially if the brute happens to give everybody else the jitters.”
    Lowell was down on her knees on the floor, trying to pull Senator McGilvray out from under the sofa.
    “Oh, poor blessed lamb! Mac didn’t mean to step on him! He’s just a big clumsy! Come on, baby!”
    Mac glowered at her angrily, wiping the gin and vermouth off his trousers. Senator